The single-barrel category starts with Blanton’s Original Single Barrel, a Kentucky straight bourbon first released in 1984 as the world’s first commercially marketed single barrel bourbon. Every bottle is drawn from one barrel aged in Buffalo Trace’s Warehouse H, bottled at 93 proof from a high-rye mash bill, and topped with one of the eight collectible horse-and-jockey stoppers. Expect caramel and orange peel on the nose, honeyed vanilla and rye spice on the palate, and a warm nutmeg finish that runs longer than the proof suggests. This is the 700ml bottling of an allocation staple that rarely sits on shelves long. Pour it neat for a first taste; a single cube rounds the spice for easy sipping.